Hello Claudia
I wondered why I did not want to read your post. I saw it on the unread posts notices and I skipped it until it was the LAST one to read with nothing to do for me elsewhere in the Forum. S-O-O-...I read this thread BACKWARDS!
I read FIRST...your responses to give me some clue as to what your story was. Once I started, I read right through. Getting to your post I was thankful that I had not read your post first because as it happens, it strikes a deep cord with my own personal experiences. So much so, that it felt as though I was meeting myself thirty years ago. The Lord only knew that I had to approach this on a gradient!
My story ended with my husband being murdered while I waited up for him to return home from his night out! I received news at 2am in the morning that he had been shot.
Fast forward thirty years and I can see that you, unlike me then, have got really deep insight into the ways and purposes of Christ for your life and for the preciousness that you are to HIM. I did not know that after I lost my husband...I was clueless and blind as a bat!...Like you, I left my husband due to his infidelity and abuse that was killing me. Like you, it just simply got beyond endurance and either I was going to die literally from it or I had to step out of the situation. I stepped out to save my life and he let me go to escape accountability for my frailty. I had lost so much weight that when I checked in with a Doctor I was told I was a few hours away from entering a Coma. Anyway, I got out of Italy and returned home to my parents in Africa, but he followed me and his torments became even more violent. I divorced him but he never left me. He was killed after we made some sort of reconciliation of a sort....I was even thinking of returning to him and was happy that his life ended without me feeling any resentment or anger towards him. Even though it took me ten years to get into a better relationship which is now happily blessed with my current husband.
I know this thread is not about me, but what I share I want you to compare how far ahead you are in terms of knowing about Christ and knowing His Plan for you is going to bring you to Him and His Glory. I did not know that then and you can be really glad that you know it now. Some people, MOST people are not called to see or hear Him. You obviously are seeing Him and hearing Him here in BT.
If I had known what you know now, I believe my life would have been radically different. I had to go through many more trials and circumstances especially written for me to go through.
I especially enjoy the insights the Lord has given you and the gentle trust He is designing in you that mirrors HIM to me. He speaks to me through your post. My trials are not past by any means. They are just different now.
Your post is a blessing from Him through you and I hope that adds to your rainbow! It has to mine!
It sounds as though your daughter is one of those who is favored by the Lord, as are you who have endured this trial through His mercy and favor of our Lord. Your husband will have to repent and he will in God's time.
Dawn...my husband and I are blessed with a ten year old son! As parents we recieved restoration from our Lord and not too late either. We are not young but neither are we old and we have the best of both worlds youth and age I think! And just to sum up ...
Psalms 56:8 You number and record MY wanderings; put my tears into Your bottle - are they not in Your book?Our Lord IS FAITHFUL!
Peace to you
Arcturus